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2020 iMac 5K: Helicon Focus
Related: 2019 iMac 5K, 2020 iMac 5K, 4K and 5K display, focus stacking, Helicon Focus, iMac, iMac 5K, Macs, memory, video, Zerene Stacker
re: recommended Macs for photographers and videographers
re: 2020 iMac 5K: Recommended Models and Accessories.
MPG tested the 2020 iMac 5K 3.6 GHz Intel Core i9 10-core / 128GB / 2TB / Radeon 5700. Smart move: buy with 8GB memory, then add 64GB or 128GB OWC memory to save a ton on memory cost (same memory as 2019 iMac 5K).
Please buy your gear at B&H Photo and OWC/MacSales.com using any link from this site.
Unsure which Mac to get or how to configure it? Consult with Lloyd.
About
Helicon Focus and Zerene Stacker are both excellent for focus stacking but Helicon Focus is dramatically faster to do the stack. However, Helicon Focus I have found requires more touch-up work (which can take minutes to hours!), so I do all my work in Zerene Stacker to minimize the use of my time.
Still, for a super fast way to see how a stack is going to work out, Helicon Focus is so fast that it‘s very useful for a quick look. And it’s also possible that somehow I have missed a way to use Helicon Focus with fewer edge artifact issues.
If below are out of date: view current Mac wishlist and all current OWC wishlists.
Results
The 2019 Mac Pro rocks, with its 28 CPU cores.
The 2020 iMac 5K handily beats the 2019 iMac 5K by more than expected—unclear why but Helicon Focus shows a lot of variability in its time. Fastest result shown for each.
This stack uses 20 16-bit 45-megapixel images from the Nikon D850. See Nikon D850 'Focus Shift shooting' feature for Easy Focus Stacking.
Apple 13.3" MacBook Pro M1 Chip with Retina Display (Late 2020, Space Gray)
SAVE $500
